you may be tempted to skip ahead. don’t.
by jassen bowman
tax resolution systems
being on the phone and attempting to get people to come in for appointments will, by its very nature, result in having to address prospect objections over the phone.
more on tax resolution: 12 rules for phone calls | when to follow up on prospects | checklists for new lead generation | client management checklists for tax resolution | how to handle client complaints
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do not view an objection as outright resistance to avoiding the appointment. rather, view it as a question from the prospect, and an opportunity to educate and inform.
here’s my seven-step process for handling objections:
1. hear them out: don’t assume that just because you’ve heard every objection under the sun that you needn’t listen fully to your prospect’s objection. he may have a unique twist. you must completely focus on the prospect to determine the real significance of this objection. prospects are weary of salespeople who only pretend to listen, and are angered by salespeople who interrupt their objections to refute them. these behaviors are disrespectful and demonstrate weakness. be confident, and show your concern for their feelings.
2. consider your options: as you are listening, you can begin to consider your initial strategy to minimize, ignore or handle the objection. there are times, especially when hearing knee-jerk objections, you will want to ignore the objections and keep on selling. there are times when you will know that you cannot overcome the objection, but can minimize its importance in the overall picture. for instance, you may agree that you have higher prices than your competitor, but quality of service, experience handling their type of tax situation, and expertise in a niche subject area are worth the price.
3. restate the objection: by restating or paraphrasing the objection, you show your concern for the prospect and get clarification in case you misunderstood his point. it also buys you useful thinking time. some prospects even withdraw their objections once they hear them spoken aloud.
paraphrasing the objection can provide you with a platform from which you can better answer the objection. for instance, if a prospect says, “your prices are too high,” you may respond by saying, “if i understand you correctly, you are concerned about receiving sufficient value on your investment?” now, instead of dealing with the issue of price, you can sell the value and benefits of your services.
4. question the objection: if appropriate, ask the prospect to elaborate on his point. you not only gain some valuable time, but during the discussion you may hear the answer to your problem. you will often find that the prospect did not understand a specific point, or that you did not communicate it properly. if you don’t clear this up, the prospect will hold on to his objection and you will lose the sale.
5. answer the objection: many salespeople skip steps one through four and immediately answer the objection. however, by completing the first four steps, you gain an understanding of your prospect’s point of view – and also earn his trust – enabling you to choose the most meaningful information for this prospect. because you have been willing to listen to him, he is more likely to now listen to you.
6. confirm the answer: once you have handled his objection, check in with the prospect to make sure your response satisfies his concern. “that clarifies the point, doesn’t it?” or “with that question solved, we can go ahead, don’t you agree?”
if the client says yes, you can lead to a close and schedule the appointment. if the prospect doesn’t feel that his objection has been dispelled, you have some choices. you can explore the objection further, you can see what else is on his mind, or if there are other, unstated objections in the way.
7. sell benefits and set the appointment: once the objections have been handled, review the major benefits for this prospect and bridge to setting the appointment. now that you have uncovered the prospect’s needs, presented the value of hiring you, demonstrated how your services can meet those needs and set to rest any objections or concerns, scheduling the appointment should be simple and straightforward.